Page 65 of Unhinged
“Would you like me to get it?”
Luke’s voice startled her, and she turned to him before glancing back at the detective, who nodded. “I’d like to see it.”
Luke looked at her for permission, and she hesitated, biting her lip. She didn’t really want to go back in there. “The tray lifts out. It’s in a black box at the bottom.”
“I’ll be right back.” Luke brushed her leg as he stood, and she wondered if it was intentional—just a small connection to let her know that he was there for her. She stared into the cup of creamy hazelnut-flavored coffee and felt a tiny smile curve her mouth. He’d fixed it exactly the way she liked it.
“Since we’re alone, would you mind answering some questions?”
She met Sanchez’s gaze. “Sure.”
“You said you were gone last night. Were you with someone?”
“I was with Luke. We went to dinner, then…” She trailed off, cheeks burning with embarrassment. Fortunately, she didn’t have to explain because the detective nodded.
“Good. Under the circumstances, I would advise you to watch your surroundings carefully and be aware of your interactions with people. This person clearly knows a lot about you.”
“He obviously has some sort of obsession with me; I just can’t quite figure out what it is.”
Sanchez tipped his head to one side and shrugged. “Hard to tell. You changed your name, moved away. Maybe he’s held on to the fantasy all these years.”
Her stomach flipped, gruesome visions dancing in front of her eyes. “He’s going to kill me. Just like Selah, and just like Monique.”
“We’re going to do everything in our power to keep that from happening.” The detective’s voice was grim, and she threw a look his way.
“No offense, detective, but you don’t have the manpower to watch over me every minute of the day.”
“No.” Sanchez glanced toward the stairs as the sound of footsteps drew nearer. “But I would advise taking extra precautions. Stay with someone you trust for the time being.”
Someone she trusted… Luke immediately came to mind, and her attention was drawn to the man in question as he moved into the room, a dark expression on his face. He handed the small black box to the detective before settling beside her. A proprietary hand landed on her knee, and she almost smiled despite the severity of the situation.
The box snapped open with a soft click, and the detective inspected the locket. He tapped the tablet on his lap, enlarging an image on the screen. He nodded, swiping through photos, murmuring to himself, and she shot Luke a look. Dropping his gaze to her now cool coffee, he extracted the cup from her frozen fingers and set it on the table. He leaned back against the cushions and draped an arm around her shoulders, easing her into his embrace.
A few moments later, Detective Sanchez gazed over the table. “Looks identical, so I believe you’re correct, Dr. Whitmore.”
She’d suspected as much, but the words struck a blow to her heart. The man had killed her best friend, and now he’d been watching her. Toying with her. Leaving trophies in her house. She wouldn’t let him get away with it.
“He’ll come after me again; we all know it.” At the sound of her voice, both men’s heads swiveled toward her.
Detective Sanchez leveled a look at her. “It’s likely, yes.”
“We could draw him out, make him come to me—”
“No.” Luke’s hard voice immediately cut her off.
Sanchez’s gaze flicked to Luke before returning to her. “I’d like to exhaust every other option before we do anything extreme.”
“Whoever this guy is, he’s starting to unravel. He’s making mistakes.” Luke laced his fingers with hers and squeezed gently. “I won’t let you put yourself in danger. Let the police catch him. Your job is to stay safe and help other people.”
She nodded once, not quite a promise. She would help others—by finding a way to put this guy behind bars.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-NINE
“I need a favor.”
Knox’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Why do I feel like this is not going to be a normal request?” He caught the black box Luke tossed his way and flipped it open. “I need you to find someone to put a tracker in there.”
